Packaging, storage and display apparatus and system

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a packaging, storage and display system for articles, such as small tools, like drill bits and the like. An index for holding the articles is pivotably mounted in a case. A rack, which may be selected from a variety of rack structures, is mounted within the index, for holding articles having particular sizes and shapes. A frame structure is resistively pivotably mounted on the index, so that the frame structure may be pivoted to a particular position relative to the index, and will tend to remain in that position, until a force in excess of a particular amount is exerted on the frame structure. The index and/or the frame structures may be interchangeably mounted.

1. A holder for packaging, storing and displaying articles, comprising: at least one index having positioned therewithin a rack which is operably configured to engage and releasably retain an end of at least one article;
 a frame structure pivotably mounted to the index; 
 rotation control structure interconnecting the frame structure and the index for providing resistance to relative rotation between the frame structure and the index until a torsional force in excess of a predetermined amount of torsional force is anplied between the frame structure and the index, whereupon relative pivoting of the frame and index is enabled, and whereupon removal of the torsional force, which is in excess of the predetermined amount of torsional force, the frame structure and the index will remain in position relative to each other; 
 wherein the at least one index comprises a first index cover part having interior structures therein configured for guiding and receiving the rack; 
 a second index cover part configured to matingly join the first index cover part to capture the rack between the first index cover part and the second index cover part. 
 
   
   
     2. The holder for packaging, storing and displaying articles according to  claim 1 , wherein the frame structure comprises:
 a web of material, one end of which is connected to and extends from one end of the at least one index for a predetermined distance, across the width of the at least one index and proceeds at the other end of the web, to the other end of the index, to form a loop which encloses a defined space between the frame structure and the index, within which the articles received by the index are to be positioned. 
 
   
   
     3. The holder for packaging, storing and displaying articles according to  claim 1 , wherein the frame structure is selected from a plurality of frame structures having different shapes and configurations for defining different shapes and areas of spaces between the webs of the frame structures and the index, when each of the frame structures is mounted on the index. 
   
   
     4. The holder for packaging, storing and displaying articles according to  claim 1 , wherein the frame structure includes at least one surface which engages with a corresponding mating surface of the at least one index, and the rotation control structure comprises mating ratchet structures disposed on the at least one surface of the frame structure and the corresponding mating surface of the at least one index. 
   
   
     5. A packaging, storage and display apparatus for articles, comprising:
 a case having at least one case section that defines an interior volume for receiving articles; 
 at least one index pivotably mounted in the at least one case section, the at least one index being pivotably movable between a stowed position within the at least one case section, and a deployed position; 
 the at least one index being operably configured to receive and retain an end of at least one article; 
 a frame structure pivotably mounted to the index; 
 rotation control structure interconnecting the frame structure and the index, operably configured to enable at least one portion of the frame structure to remain in a first position relative to the index until a force greater than a predetermined amount is applied, prompting the at least one portion of the frame structure to move to one of a plurality of possible second positions relative to the index, and to further enable the at least one portion of the frame structure to remain in the one of a plurality of second positions upon removal of the force, wherein the frame structure includes at least one surface which engages with a corresponding mating surface of the at least one index, and the rotation control structure comprises mating ratchet structures disposed on the at least one surface of the frame structure and the corresponding mating surface of the at least one index; 
 the frame structure being operably configured to inhiblt removal of the at least one article from the at least one index when the at least one portion of the frame structure is in the first position, the frame structure being further operably configured to provide support to the at least one index when the at least one index is in the deployed position, and the at least one portion of the frame structure is in one of the plurality of possible second positions. 
 
   
   
     6. The packaging, storage and display apparatus for articles according to  claim 5 , wherein the rotation control structure comprises:
 at least one male ratchet member, disposed on one of the frame structure and the index, and having an first axis of pivoting, and a projecting contoured portion with contoured ratchet surfaces disposed circumferentially about the first axis of pivoting on a radially outwardly facing surface of the projecting contoured portion; 
 at least one female ratchet member, disposed on the other of the frame structure and the index, and having a second axis of pivoting, and a recess centered on the axis of pivoting, and a plurality of complementary contoured ratchet surfaces disposed circumferentially about the second axis of pivoting on a radially inwardly facing surface of the recess; 
 the at least one first male ratchet member being insertably received in the at least one female ratchet member, the first axis of pivoting being disposed coaxially with the second axis of pivoting. 
 
   
   
     7. The packaging, storage and display apparatus for articles according to  claim 6 , wherein the contoured ratchet surfaces of the male ratchet member comprise a plurality of convex projections. 
   
   
     8. The packaging, storage and display apparatus for articles according to  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of complementary contoured ratchet surfaces of the female ratchet member comprise a plurality of concavities. 
   
   
     9. The packaging, storage and display apparatus for articles according to  claim 6 , wherein the contoured ratchet surfaces of the male ratchet member comprise a plurality of concavities. 
   
   
     10. The packaging, storage and display apparatus for articles according to  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of complementary contoured ratchet surfaces of the female ratchet member comprise a plurality of convex projections. 
   
   
     11. The packaging, storage and display apparatus for articles according to  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of complementary contoured ratchet surfaces of the female ratchet member and the contoured ratchet surfaces of the male ratchet member comprise complementary sets of radially extending projections. 
   
   
     12. A packaging, storage and display apparatus for articles, comprising:
 a case having at least one case section that defines an interior volume for receiving articles; 
 at least one index pivotably mounted in the at least one case section, the at least one index being pivotably movable between a stowed position within the at least one case section, and a deployed position; 
 the at least one index being operably configured to receive and retain an end of at least one article; 
 a frame structure pivotably mounted to the index; 
 rotation control structure interconnecting the frame structure and the index, operably configured to enable at least one portion of the frame structure to remain in a first position relative to the index until a force greater than a predetermined amount is applied, prompting the at least one portion of the frame structure to move to one of a plurality of possible second positions relative to the index, and to further enable the at least one portion of the frame structure to remain in the one of a plurality of second positions upon removal of the force, wherein the frame structure includes at least one surface which engages with a corresponding mating surface of the at least one index, and the rotation control structure comprises mating ratchet structures disposed on the at least one surface of the frame structure and the corresponding mating surface of the at least one index; 
 the frame structure being operably configured to inhibit removal of the at least one article from the at least one index when the at least one portion of the frame structure is in the first position, the frame structure being further operably configured to provide support to the at least one index when the at least one index is in the deployed position, and the at least one portion of the frame structure is in one of the plurality of possible second positions, 
 wherein the rotation control structure comprises: 
 at least one male ratchet member disposed on one of the frame structure and the index, and having an first axis of pivoting, and a projecting contoured portion with at least one contoured ratchet surface disposed perpendicular to the first axis of pivoting on a radially outwardly facing surface of the projecting contoured portion; 
 at least one female ratchet member disposed on the other of the frame structure and the index, and having a second axis of pivoting, and a recess centered on the axis of pivoting, and a plurality of complementary contoured ratchet surfaces disposed circumferentially about the second axis of pivoting on a radially inwardly facing surface of the recess; 
 the at least one first male ratchet member being insertably received in the at least one female ratchet member, the first axis of pivoting being disposed coaxially with the second axis of pivoting. 
 
   
   
     13. The packaging, storage and display apparatus for articles according to  claim 12 , wherein the at least one contoured ratchet surface of the male ratchet member comprises a generally triangular projection. 
   
   
     14. The packaging, storage and display apparatus for articles according to  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of complementary contoured ratchet surfaces of the female ratchet member comprise a plurality of concavities. 
   
   
     15. The packaging, storage and display apparatus for articles according to  claim 12 , wherein the at least one contoured ratchet surface disposed perpendicular to the first axis of pivoting on a radially outwardly facing surface of the projecting contoured portion, comprises two contoured ratchet surfaces disposed at opposing positions, on opposed outwardly fading surfaces of the projecting contoured portion. 
   
   
     16. The packaging, storage and display apparatus for articles according to  claim 15 , wherein the two contoured ratchet surfaces comprise two triangular radially outwardly extending projections. 
   
   
     17. A packaging, storage and display apparatus for articles, comprising:
 a case having at least one case section that defines an interior volume for receiving articles; 
 at least one index pivotably mounted in the at least one case section, the at least one index being pivotably movable between a stowed position within the at least one case section, and a deployed position; 
 the at least one Index being operably configured to receive and retain an end of at least one article; 
 a frame structure pivotably mounted to the index, 
 the frame structure being operably configured to inhibit removal of the at least one article from the at least one index when at least one portion of the frame structure is in a first position relative to the index, the frame structure being further operably configured to provide support to the index in a raised position when the at least one portion of the frame structure is in one of a plurality of possible second positions; 
 structure for rotatably mounting the at least one index within the at least one case section, including 
 apertures disposed in opposing ends of the at least one index; 
 pivot pins operably configured to be insertingly received and retained within the apertures; 
 structures within the at least one case section defining opposed slots for receiving the pivot pins, and enabling manual removal of the pivot pins from the opposed slots; 
 each of the pivot pins including 
 a post operably configured to be frictionally received in one of the slots, 
 a stem configured to be received in one of the apertures for enabling the index to be pivoted about the stem, and 
 a head mounted on the stem and configured to be received in the index, and having a width greater than a width of a corresponding aperture for enabling the head to be retained in the index.